Web 2.0 And Online Marketing For Business Attraction. Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index. Second Edition

Transcription

1 Web 2.0 And Online Marketing For Business Attraction 2010 Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index Second Edition

2 2010. Intelegia Group. All rights reserved. The Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index Report is prepared from sources and data which we believe to be reliable and accurate, but we make no representation as to its accuracy or completeness. The report is provided solely for informational purposes and is not to be construed as providing advice, recommendations, representations or warranties of any kind whatsoever. Opinions and information provided are made as of the date of the report s publication and are subject to change without notice. Intelegia disclaims any liability for errors or omissions therein.

3 Note to Readers This second edition of Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index has been published by Intelegia Group in collaboration with E&B DATA. Intelegia would like to take the opportunity to thank Frederic Chevalier and Jean Matuszewski, associates at E&B DATA for their precious feedback during the course of this study.

4 Web 2.0 and Business Attraction Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index Content 2010 Preamble 5 Conclusions 38 Context 5 Methodology 39 Key Insights 8 Frequently Asked Questions 40 Results 10 Bibliography 42 Best Practices Social Media Tools Web About the Authors 44 Best Practices Site Selection Tools Web Planning Points 36 Final Thoughts 36 Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 4

5 Preamble Social media marketing has opened the doors for marketers to promote products and / or services in innovative ways. Breaking the old model with marketing vehicles such as printed brochures, television and radio spots which are one-sided forms of communications, social media provides a platform to engage an audience. As a result, marketers have the ability to interact with their target audience, thanks to a cost effective medium Economic development agencies that have the mandate to promote their respective regions for business attraction purposes possess the ways and means to use social media applications. The issue that agencies face is the return of investment on the Web 2.0 tools in regards to money flowing into the region to foster a prosperous business environment. The 2010 Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index benchmark has two objectives. Primarily, it will serve as an update to the 2009 Benchmark Study in terms of what cities have done to improve their rank according to their maximisation of the applications functionalities. The second objective is to highlight cities that have chosen to increase their capabilities to share relevant content to potential investors and new business partners. Context I. Distinguishing your city by becoming knowable. Sophisticated economic center, stability and attractive markets are found worldwide, by global corporations originating in both mature economies and fast growth markets. 1 Canada is a sophisticated economic center. However; the market is small for many industries. When it comes to promoting their distinct opportunities, Canadian cities relying more on services, innovation and to a lesser extent, manufacturing sectors to drive their economic growth, need to engage differently with the rest of the world: so they can appear or re-appear in the mind of investors looking for destinations driven by strong local leadership and innovation. Canadian cities need to become knowable on the global landscape to be on the radar of potential investors, within the country but also around the world. Only social medias can provide such costefficient ways to communicate. In this 2.0 era, knowable refers to the city s ability to take advantage of social media applications to communicate its strengths but also its deep understanding of potential investors needs and requirements. As a result, the city will project itself as being trustable in terms of providing information and engaging with their business network on the micro and macro levels. 1 Ernst & Young; Waking up to the New Economy: Ernst & Young s 2010 European Attractiveness Survey, 2010, p. 5. Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 5

6 II. Marketing the unique selling point of each city or region is ever more challenging. Last year, One 3 Communication Design and Economic Developers Association of Canada (EDAC) conducted a survey which found out that the majority of Canadian agencies are expected to do more with the same amount of financial resources. 2 Canadian cities and regions need to find new ways to engage with foreign investors. Canadian cities and regions need to engage with local businesses to reinforce the region message, network and value-added proposition. III. With the introduction of social media, business is not conducted in the same way. Available tools such as LinkedIn are used to enlarge and strengthen business networks. Austerity measures have been driving economic development agencies. Taking advantage of the new business and communication framework is a key driver in a renewed attractiveness model. The use of social media attempts to remove barriers between countries regions, cities, organizations and most importantly, individuals. The applications are allowing economic development organizations to: be in the loop and out to spot trends and opportunities that can improve their investment attraction strategy connect and reconnect with investors, partners and stakeholders identify new business opportunities and investment projects and proactively engage with new businesses Conclude Listen Engage Capture Share Source: Intelegia, One 3 Communication Design and Economic Developers Association of Canada; Economic Development Marketing in Canada, Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 6

7 Opportunities are on both sides of the fence: For investors and site selectors For cities and regions trying to attract new investments Most of EDOs (Economic Development Organizations) are already members of Linkedin. However, how many are really using the network to share content and establish new business contacts? Knowing that they are at the forefront of lead generation and the hub linking all regional stakeholders, some regions are ready when it comes to promoting their region and knock on doors to attract new investments. They know where and who has the answers to investors questions. It is more than providing the cost of operations data. It is about connecting specific investors needs to the region s offer. The ability for economic development organizations (EDOs) to capture the value and the information and resources available in their region and to share it efficiently to site selectors and potential investors so they can proactively engage with them. This is what it is all about. The use of LinkedIn to connect with site selection professionals is a good example of new ways EDOs connect, share valuable content or simply post questions. Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 7

8 Key Insights Here is a look at some of the key insights. Getting noticed in a continuously growing noisy universe The virtual world is not only getting bigger, the more people are using it, the more difficult it becomes to be noticed. Talking is not enough and Greater Halifax Partnership is building its influence on a well-thought content strategy. Agencies are learning to deal with negative postings Every agency takes a risk when using social networks in terms of receiving feedback. Dealing with negative feedback is nothing new and it does open the door to engaging with audiences. For example, Edmonton Economic Development Corporation (EEDC) has been challenged by one particular person who was leaving negative comments about them on Twitter and Facebook. However, once EEDC responded with positive messages, this person then retweeted them and consistently does with what the agency is tweeting. This situation gave EEDC confidence in its ability to manage unpleasant posting on social networks, as well as positive visibility on the web. Level of adoption from within In its second year of using social media applications, Greater Halifax Partnership s employees are now comfortable with them and regularly suggest content to be posted. Last year, there was one single individual that had the responsibility to engage its audience. The person can nowdepend on the input from more than 20 colleagues. Content sharing on social media applications allows organizations to keep their audience informed without waiting for traditional media coverage Via its website, Hamilton Economic Development provides access to InvestInHamilton TV. Identified as an early adopter of Social TV, the agency is able to position itself as a source of information on different aspects of the local economy, which stakeholders and potential investors may consult. Both stakeholders and investors are now able to get their information without dealing with the noise (i.e., commercials, unrelated stories) that traditional media has when broadcasting content to these specific audiences. The agency has found an efficient way to deliver economic development good news and engage audiences with video production. Invest TV has generated well over 225,000 views in only 11 months of operation. For Greater Halifax Partnership, social media gives an opportunity to tell the story behind an event or project. It gives more depth, and it is a strong diffentiation marketing tool. New in-house competencies Recognizing the value of these new tools, Greater Halifax Partnership has allowed resources to build competencies in-house through specialized seminar and focus training instead of simply outsourcing web 2.0 marketing activities. Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 8

9 Executive buy-in is still essential and growing Coming from one of the largest information technology companies in Canada, Paul Kent, Greater Halifax Partnership s CEO, is one of few Canadian EDOs senior executive who tweets and is involved in the social media strategy. This CEO not only supports new initiatives but he engages himself in the GHP branding and communication strategy. In Hamilton, where the agency is directly linked to city hall, Fred Eisenberger, the mayor, is active on Facebook and Twitter. In London, two out of every three city councillors have a Twitter account. In Edmonton, for one week Ron Gilbertson, EEDC President answered people s questions on a popular Forum called Connect 2 Edmonton EDO s as routers for business information and activities Greater Halifax Partnership and Invest in Hamilton share the goal to use its social media channels to push not only their own content but also to redistribute content from their partners and stakeholders. Applying social media strategies and tools to engage with regional stakeholders has been very effective for the city of London. For example, the time consuming energy to stimulate networking among local businesses and newly graduate workforce is now more efficient and popular for the city of London who s agency is using a Facebook page. Last winter, London Economic Development Corporation organized an industry event for which they had forecast a crowd of 150 participants. Effectively using Twitter during the event, they were able to build on the enthusiasm of the participants and raise the attendance to 275. EDO s as regional catalyst Becoming a regional catalyst is a natural step for EDOs that are regional routers. London Economic Development Corporation manages 10 websites and customizes social media applications for specific industry events positioning the agency as the catalyst. LEDC use this core competency and is now able to share it to the benefits of its partners: DIG London and Student-2-Business Networking Conference among others. Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 9

10 Understanding the scoring Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index is based on publicly available data supported by research and interviews. The results of this year s study were based on the agencies ability to have a strong presence on the following five social networks and other web 2.0 applications: Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube, and to a lesser extent, other content sharing applications (i.e. Digg, StumbleUpon, etc.), as well as using applications such as: podcasts, videocasts and RSS feeds. The level of strength on social media was evaluated based on the capacity to be found on the network, create and engage with an audience and provide content on a regular basis. Content for site selectors and potential investors was examined upon its currency, accessibility (i.e., easy to retrieve using Google) and its availability in many languages (more than two languages). In addition to these preliminary explanations, the methodology and FAQ are available on pages Results 1. Top Five Canadian Cities The 2010 Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index recognizes the following top five Canadian cities economic development and investment attraction agencies for their true leadership in embracing social media applications and online marketing strategy for investment attraction. The map below shows the top 5 ranked cities according to the study s 19 criteria. 1. Edmonton Economic Development Corporation 2. Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation ex-aequo with Greater Halifax Partnership 3. London Economic Development Corporation 4. Hamilton Economic Development Office Shifts in the ranking over the past 12 months can be attributed to the following: Consistently posting on their Facebook Page and Twitter on a daily and weekly basis Taking advantage of a blog to give depth on economic development issues and opportunities Having a complete LinkedIn profile where the agency s representatives can be found Developing the ability to engage with target audiences Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 10

11 2. Canadian Cities 2010 Score The complete picture of the score per city is shown in Table 1. Table 1: Top Canadian Cities 2010 Score 70 Sc0re Edmonton, AB Halifax, NS Ottawa, ON London, ON Hamilton, ON Toronto, ON Regina, SK Montréal, QC Calgary, AB Vancouver, BC Québec, QC Saskatoon, SK Victoria, BC Winnipeg, MB St. John s, NL Yellowknife, NT Charlottetown, PE Fredericton, NB Iqaluit, NU Whitehorse, YT Source: Intelegia, Top 20 Canadian Cities This year some new cities on the radar included: Toronto - Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance improved the city ranking thanks to the adoption of a Facebook page, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts. Regina - Regina Regional Economic Development Authority established a Web 2.0 presence over the past year with a Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube combination. Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 11

12 3. Agencies easy to retrieve on Google Some cities face the challenge of getting found by individuals using Google based on keywords that are entered. Some agencies are very active on the web 2.0 applications however, keywords such as: invest in + name of the city doesn t lead to their economic agency s website effectively. This could be attributed to a number of factors. This study highlights three factors: Underutilizing the right keywords on a constant pace in their posts can cause a fluctuation in their search engine rank. Search engine results are very dynamic. Agencies cannot depend on being ranked on the first page one day and expect to still be there 24 hours later. Agencies communicating from cities that are very active and mature about social media initiatives have to compete with other stakeholders and agencies who post content at the same pace or sometimes quicker than them. Cities that performed well on Google search test are illustrated below in Table 2. Table 2: Easy to Retrieve on Google July 2010 High Occurancy Fredericton 0.5 Low 0 Halifax Hamilton Charlottetown London Regina Whitehorse Montréal Vancouver Yellowknife Québec Ottawa Edmonton Calgary Toronto Victoria Saint John s Saskatoon Winnipeg Iaqluit Source: Intelegia, Top 20 Canadian Cities Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 12

13 Best Practices Social Media Tools Blogs Blogs allow individuals to publish on the web on various subjects. Individuals who have a loyal audience of readers can become a source for news and insights that are not available elsewhere on the web, as well as an authority on a given subject. Economic development agencies that are able to harness the benefits of having and maintaining a blog for investment attraction can provide timely and relevant information analysis, and promotional content regarding their region. Blog - Currency of Posts London Economic Development Corporation DIG London As a part of sector specific approach towards targeted investors, London Economic Development Corporation created a blog for the Digital Interactive Gaming Conference (DIG) London The blog publishes on a regular basis, dealing with matters important to the industry from a stakeholders point of view. Figure 1 is a screenshot of the DIG London 2010 blog. Figure 1: DIG London 2010 Blog Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 13

14 Facebook The sheer amount of individuals that are on Facebook is reason enough for agencies to have a presence on the social network. No longer is Facebook geared towards teenagers and young adults. Business professionals are using Facebook to network with others in the field, and to market their products and services via various applications. Some economic development agencies are adopting Facebook marketing practices. Facebook Page - Currency of Posts Edmonton Economic Development Corporation (EEDC) Posting current and relevant information for site selectors and potential investors is one of the signs of a very good Facebook presence. The Edmonton Economic Development Corporation (EEDC) commits itself to posting on a daily basis. Figure 2 presents a view of the agency s page and some of postings from July 19 th to August 19 th, Figure 2: EEDC s Facebook Page Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 14

15 At times, the postings are mainly focused on one theme as seen in Figure 3. Figure 3: Post acknowledging Edmonton has a strong infrastructure for nanotechnology Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 15

16 Facebook Page Customized Tabs and Pages Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance (GTMA) Of the cities that have a Facebook Page or Group, the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance (GTMA) took the initiative to customize its navigational tabs and pages. As seen in Figure 4, the page offers four labeled tabs: GTMA Celebrate GTMA Hot News GTMA & Partners services GTMA Partners Figure 4: GTMA Customized Tabs Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 16

17 Within the GTMA Hot News section, there is a segment specifically targeting companies seeking foreign direct investment opportunities. Figure 5 illustrates the content that is available as part of their Foreign Direct Investment Initiatives. Figure 5: GTMA Foreign Direct Investment Initiatives On Facebook Providing such content on Facebook allows potential investors to have a central source for initiatives regarding investment opportunities in the Greater Toronto Area. Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 17

18 Easy to retrieve using Facebook Search London Economic Development Corporation Based on a search conducted on July 26 th, 2010, the London Economic Development Corporation Facebook page was easy to find using a simple search and keywords, London and economic development. The placement of the result allows researchers to locate the page amongst others including pages from London, England. The maple leaf in the logo which may be unknown to Facebook users at the time of the search, also provides a clear differentiation between the Canadian and English cities. Figure 6 demonstrates this fact. Figure 6: Results For Query, London + Economic Development on Facebook Supplying information that is timely and relevant for stakeholders and to the business network of a region will allow the Facebook Page to be an outlet for latest news, photos, videos and discussions on current issues. Although in different formats, the content has to be geared to have individuals take action (i.e., leave a comment, like or ultimately contact the agency to inquire about investment opportunities). Agencies must realize that implementing a marketing initiative using Facebook without a content strategy is like opening a candy store without an assortment of sweets. A plan has to be in place to satisfy a need, keep individuals engaged and prompt them to return. - Isabelle Poirier, Intelegia Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 18

19 Twitter The microblogging application allows marketers to communicate with individuals who have chosen to receive their messages or tweets. EDOs can benefit from the variety of Twitter s features to engage stakeholders, specifically, site selectors and potential investors. Scheduled Tweets Greater Halifax Partnership Figure 7: Greater_Halifax Twitter Feed Among the agencies that are on Twitter, it was found that Greater Halifax Partnership consistently sent out tweets during the period of July 19 th, 2010 and August 19 th, The tweets via Greater_Halifax (as seen in Figure 7) presented: Text and hyperlinks to relevant articles and reports Retweets Hyperlinks to posts to Greater Halifax s blog, Smart City Content available on the feed can be relevant to investors who wish to know more about the region. Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 19

20 Engaging Followers Hamilton Economic Development Engaging followers does not only mean sending out tweets. It means fielding questions or comments via the Twitter feed. As seen in Figure 8, Hamilton Economic Development is open to remarks from their followers based on the number of tweets starting with sign. Figure 8: Hamiltonecdev Twitter Feed Engagement Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 20

21 Although the messages sent by the agency may not be relevant to investment attraction at times, it does show that the agency uses Twitter efficiently to communicate with others. As a result, Hamilton Economic Development has another channel to network with potential stakeholders. Using Twitter to market a product or service seems like a natural fit. As a dissemination tool, users can simply post a 140 characters message on Twitter for followers to read or can they? Twitter calls for a very strategic approach which requires the ability to build an audience, and know what content should be sent to followers. Agencies must have a clear framework which deals with content issues as: How often should tweets be sent? Why and what should the agency retweet? Does the agency proactively engage with followers and vice-versa? Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 21

22 LinkedIn Known as the Facebook for business professionals, LinkedIn is an essential tool that every company and economic development agency must maximize. Having a presence on the network will allow representatives to be accessible to site selectors and potential investors. Percentage of employees on LinkedIn from the agency Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI) Amongst the cities that have a LinkedIn profile, it was found that the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI) had 90% of its representatives on the business social network. Figure 9 is an image of the OCRI LinkedIn profile. Figure 9: OCRI Profile on LinkedIn Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 22

23 Having a high percentage of employees on LinkedIn is quite beneficial. The more individuals on the social network from an agency, the higher the chance that a site selector or an investor may be in a representative s network. As a result, the door is already open in terms meeting people to discuss initiatives. Easy to retrieve using LinkedIn Search Testing how easy it is for an investor to find an agency profile with the name of the city and the keyword investment, four agencies appeared on the first page of results when each query is submitted. I) Greater Halifax Partnership Figure 10: Search Query: Halifax + investment Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 23

24 II) PÔLE Québec Chaudière-Appalaches Figure 11: Search Query: Quebec + investment III) Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance Figure 12: Search Query: Toronto + investment Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 24

25 IV) Montreal International Figure 13: Search Query: Montreal+ investment In the cases of PÔLE Québec Chaudière-Appalaches (Figure 11) and Montreal International (Figure 13), the choice of keywords is essential since each agency does not provide a link to their profile on their website. As a result, finding the right person to contact for investment attraction initiatives is easier, especially if the key decision maker is listed on the agency s profile. By having a plan to build a channel, agencies can decide what type of information that should be pushed to followers. By having a plan to build a network, representatives can share information to attract others to link together based on mutual business interests. A content strategy for a LinkedIn presence should be all about building a channel for the agency itself and a network of its representatives. Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 25

26 YouTube Besides engaging content, proper presence on YouTube for investment attraction requires: Channel description Relevant Video Tags The ability to find videos via YouTube search Channel description Although elementary, it is important for agencies to have a description to their YouTube channel that makes it easy for individuals to identify them. Three agencies were discovered to have a clear channel description. (Channel descriptions were evaluated based on the agency ability to provide content for the About Me and or Interests sections of their page). Greater Halifax Partnership As seen in Figure 14, Greater Halifax Partnership uses the ideal keywords such as private sector investment, government support and economic growth in the Interests field. Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI) In Figure 15, OCRI uses keywords such as lead economic development corporation and technology to position itself. Figure 14: Greater Halifax Partnership s About Me and Interests Figure 15: OCRI s About Me description Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 26

27 Hamilton Economic Development In Figure 16, Hamilton Economic Development uses keywords such as business assistance, corporate relocations, expansion and retention. Figure 16: Hamilton Economic Development s About Me description Hamilton Economic Development Assigning relevant video tags to clips on the platform allows users to find content based on themes. Hamilton Economic Development s clip, This Is A City is tagged with the following: Hamilton Ontario City of Hamilton invest in Hamilton Figure 17 is a screenshot of the associated tags. Relevant Video Tags Figure 17: Associated tags for Hamilton Economic Development s clip, This Is A City By clicking on the Invest In Hamilton tag, site selectors can access other clips from the agency which maybe relevant. Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 27

28 London Economic Development Corporation The ability to find videos via YouTube search Using to the following series of queries, it was found the London Economic Development Corporation s YouTube clips were easy to retrieve, as presented in Figure 18,19 and 20. Name of city + Canada + keyword, invest Figure 18: Results For Query, London + Canada + keyword, invest Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 28

29 Name of city + Canada + keyword, economic development Figure 19: Results for Query, London + Canada + keyword, economic development Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 29

30 Name of city + Canada + keyword, investment Figure 20: Results for Query, London + Canada + keyword, investment Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 30

31 For all three queries, videos from the LEDC YouTube Channel appeared on the first page results on July 22 nd, The role of content strategy in terms of a YouTube channel is twofold, especially for economic development agencies. Primarily, the strategy must complement the creative strategy behind the video, in which the promotional push for the region contains structured information, needed by site selectors (i.e. up to date key locational factors). On the other hand, selecting the right description and tags for videos is a process that is necessary to ensure that the clips are found and viewed by the intended audience. Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 31

32 Videocasts The use of videocasts available on a website is a powerful marketing tool for a product or service. Videocasts creates a large amount of free traffic and it increases businesses to the most coveted positions in search engines. 3 Hamilton Economic Development Via its website, Hamilton Economic Development provides access to InvestInHamilton.ca TV. It is a source of videos that news and profiles regarding difference aspects of the local economy. Figure 21 is an illustration of how InvestinHamilton.ca is presented to visitors of the website. Figure 21: InvestinHamilton TV 3 Russell, Neil; Internet Video Marketing, August 27 th, Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 32

33 Best Practices Site Selection Tools Web 1.0 Site selection tools located on an economic agency s website should have one objective, to provide the necessary and current references to take the steps towards investing a region. Having a website that is site selector friendly can give a region an edge in attracting investors. Age of information for site selectors and investors London Economic Development Corporation Via its publication, 2010 Marketing Facts, the London Economic Development Corporation supplies up-to-date locational factors information. The annual publication has data regarding the following: In addition, the agency publishes, Perspectives London 2010, a promotional vehicle that contains information on the economic initiatives that are taking place in London and how investors can benefit from them Demographics Labour Force Wage Rate Transportation Infrastructure Regulatory Economic Information Living Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 33

34 Multi-language content Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority The Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority offers content in nine languages in regards to key locational factors. As seen in Figure 22, visitors can click on the tabs located on the right hand side to access a set of.pdfs. Figure 22: Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority Multilingual Options Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 34

35 The.pdfs contain factsheets regarding Saskatoon in terms of the quality of life, industries, education, costs of living, as illustrated in Figure 23. The PDF document is available in French. Figure 23: Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority Factsheet Published In French Offering information in a variety of languages allows a city to target investors from different parts of the world. According to the Global Investment Promotion Benchmarking 2009 by the World Bank Group, IPIs need to adopt an investment strategy that reflects their comparative and competitive advantages; this often means adopting a sector strategy and providing substantive information on those sectors. 4 via promotional vehicles. A well executed content strategy should reflect the needs of the target audience for relevant information. One would not say everything and anything in traditional media advertisement: the same logic applies to social media with an even stronger impact because users, followers and friends can re-tweet, comment and forward the content. Not only do agencies have to adopt a sector strategy but a content strategy must be in place to communicate the region s value proposition 4 World Bank; «Global Investment Promotion Benchmarking», 2009, p p.27 Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 35

36 Social media allows agencies to engage with a target audience in a more transparent way Planning Points Economic development officers thinking about establishing a Web 2.0 presence for their region may want to create a plan which considers the following: It is not sufficient to just have a collection of social media applications. Each tool much be maintained to engage the audience on a regular basis. LinkedIn is becoming an important business tool that aids in opening doors to investment initiatives. Along with a profile of the organization, it is essential that all members of the agency have their own profile complete with their position and job description. All searches will be in real-time. Web, blogs, social networks. 5 With this in mind, agencies must take advantage of tools such as Twitter, YouTube and content sharing applications to place relevant information regarding their respective regions in order to target investors via search engines. Users of the internet are accessing social networks via smart phones and mobile devices. Agencies must provide data that is easy to read and navigate through on many platforms. To have sustainable Web 2.0 marketing campaign, a content strategy must be in place. A strategy will help agencies answer questions such as, What do we post to attract investors to consider our region?, How do we engage with our followers who have an interest in what we do? Final Thoughts Economic development agencies (large and small) that are apprehensive about social media have to realize that this channel is not a fad that will disappear any time soon. According to Freddie Laker, the director of digital strategy at Sapien: 2009 saw the adoption of the social media by all major marketers. 6 These marketers have embraced the promotional tools to enhance various products and services online branding. Current signs show that they will continue to do so. The CMO Survey, conducted by Duke University s Fuqua School of Business and the American Marketing Association (AMA) forecasts that nearly one-fifth of marketing dollars will go to social media in five years. 7 What if tapping into a worldwide business network like LinkedIn allowed you to engage and develop new offers and ventures, that are more compelling to global investors? 5 Kallas, Pritt; «22 Social Media Marketing Trends for 2010», December 22 nd, 2009, Dreamgrow.com 6 Laker, Freddie; «What Social Media Will Look Like in 2012», Advertising Age, June 4 th, 2010, 7 Marketing Budgets Spiral Toward Social. emarketer, March 2 nd, 2010, Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 36

37 If you were told that the company you would like to attract in your region has an executive who is connected through LinkedIn to one of the professional or businessman in your network, and that it s just a matter of a click that you can be introduced to him, would you start to think that this whole buzz about connectivity can make a difference even for you? You think it s not for you? The table below shows how economic development is largely discussed on social media and provides an overview of the social mentions for three queries, economic development, investment attraction and foreign direct investment on the five Web 2.0 tools. The raw results show that the topic of economic development and associated subjects are being mentioned on Web 2.0 applications. Focusing solely on the data regarding LinkedIn will drive home the importance of having a presence on social networks. As of September 1 st, 2010, there were 553,000 pages on which the keywords economic development appeared. This translates into: Individuals who publish a profile stating that they have current or past experience in the field Agencies and other organizations that have a mandate dealing with economic development Groups that have discussions around the topic of economic development The same statements can hold true for investment attraction and foreign direct investment. Table 5: An overview of the social mentions on the five Web 2.0 tools Economic Development Investment Attraction Foreign Direct Investment Blog 1,540,892 1, ,903 Facebook 244, ,560 Twitter 12, LinkedIn 553,000 1,310 5,200 YouTube 23, Flicker 4, Source: Intelegia, Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 37

38 Conclusion Social media applications allow economic development officers to take action at the different phases of their investment attraction strategy. From monitoring industry trends to identifying prospects and engaging with potential partners, all of this is due to a more coherent strategy and transparent culture. In the first edition of this index, an assessment of the introduction of social media applications in the marketing strategy of top Canadian cities was conducted. The idea was to identify early adopters and capture innovative practices. Twelve months later, Intelegia thought that agencies had the opportunity to improve their understanding of the tools and start to really take advantage of them to push and promote their cities value proposition to potential investors and site selectors. This year s winners clearly showed their progress. Within the next year, Intelegia challenges cities to fully take advantage of these innovative marketing tools so they are not left behind by the ever-growing number of cities who have integrated them into their existing marketing plans. Cities that are still hesitant to adopt a social media marketing strategy must realize that the Web 2.0 tools are becoming the norm and not the exception in terms of communicating online. The use of social media applications does not call for a different marketing plan for organizations. It calls for decision makers to be open to integrating these tools to carry the organization s message, and to be supportive of this innovative way of engaging with stakeholders and potential investors. As for any strategic action, maximizing social media requires planification, reflexion, training and adaptation. Most of all, it requires vision, innovation and creativity. Isn t that what investors seek, after all? Once upon a time the usage of in business was to be considered a time consuming application that would slow down productivity and affect the bottom line. As everybody knows, this perception has proven to be false. Following the same logic, organizations should not restrict themselves from harvesting the potential benefits of using social media for their marketing and branding needs. To be continued, with every post. Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 38

39 Methodology The methodology used for Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index 2010 expanded on the framework used for the initial benchmark study in The identical set of cities was selected based on the Top 10 Canadian Census Metropolitan Statistical Areas (CMSA) as defined by Statistics Canada in Specifically, this year s benchmark considered the following elements for the evaluation of agencies social media applications, Web 1.0 features, the availability of relevant information for site selectors and potential investors. The benchmark considered pages and feeds directly linked to the metro area economic development agency website, as well as social media applications that presented contact information consistent with the agency s website. (i.e. president, general manager or marketing contact information, mailing address, phone number) The agency s social media applications were assessed based upon the appearance of: Blog(s) Facebook Page or Group Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Flickr RSS Feeds Videocasts Podcasts Content Sharing Pluggins (ie, Digg, StumbleUpon, etc) In addition, a set of metrics were used to evaluate how the social networks were used and their frequency. The appearance of the following Web 1.0 tools was accounted for: Newsletters Newsletters archives News Alerts Forums Event Calendar To evaluate the effectiveness of an agency s website in terms of furnishing information for site selection initiatives, the following elements were considered: Currency of location factors information Complete contact information for the individual(s) responsible for investment attraction available on the first page of the section. Not only was the multilingual functionality of the site identified but also the ability to provide specific data in more than two languages (i.e., key location factors, etc.) Assessing how easy to find information on a city s agency courtesy of a search engine was conducted using Google and the following queries: investment + Name of city + Canada invest in + Name of city + Canada incentive + Name of city + Canada The examination of the social networks, Web 1.0 applications, site selection information and indexation by Google was done between July 19 th, 2010 and September 9 th, Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 39

40 Frequently Asked Questions Q: When were the sites and applications reviewed for the benchmark? A: The sites and applications were reviewed during the period of July 19 th, 2010 to September 9 th, Q: How did you select the cities to be included in the benchmark study? A: Intelegia selected the provinces capitals, and the top 10 Canadian Census Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA) as per Statistics Canada in Q: How were the agencies selected? A: The agencies were selected based on their mandate to promote their region for investment attraction purposes. Q: What were the 19 used criteria? A: Below are the 19 criteria that were used Web 2.0 Applications Blog Facebook Page or Group Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Flickr Links to other sharing platforms (i.e., Digg, StumbleUpon, etc.) RSS Feeds Videocasts Podcasts Web 1.0 Applications Newsletters Newsletter Archives News Alerts Forums Events Listing Site Selectors Orientations Appearance of link to site selection section on index page Appearance of contact person name for site selection inquiry Multi-language content Age of information for site selectors and potential investors Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 40

41 Q: What do you mean by multilingual content? A: Multilingual content allows users to read content in more than two languages. Q: What is a podcast? A: By definition, a podcast is a video or audio file that can be downloaded directly from a website and be played via a media player. Video clips available on YouTube or other sharing platforms are not considered to be podcasts. Q: What do you mean by Web 1.0? A: The Web 1.0 is the portion of the web that contains static pages (instead of dynamic user generated content) and online guestbook. Q: What do you mean by Web 2.0? A: The Web 2.0 is the portion of the web that facilitates interactive information sharing, interoperability, user centered design and collaboration on the World Wide Web. Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 41

42 Bibliography Economic Developers Association of Canada; Economic Development Marketing in Canada, Ernst & Young; Waking up to the new economy: Ernst & Young s 2010 European Attractiveness Survey. P.5, 2010 Kallas, Pritt; 22 Social Media Marketing Trends for 2010, Dreamgrow.com, December 22 nd 2009, Laker, Freddie; What Social Media Will Look Like in 2012, Advertising Age, June 4 th, 2010, Marketing Budgets Spiral Toward Social, emarketer, March 2 nd, 2010, Russel, Neil; Internet Video Marketing, August 27 th, World Bank; Global Investment Promotion Benchmarking, 2009, p Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 42

43 About Intelegia Intelegia advises organizations that wish to embrace innovative communication and content strategies with cutting edge, simple-tomanage information technologies and social media applications. As content strategists, Intelegia s team uses communication, marketing and IT knowledge to prepare and implement a content strategy which adds value to an organization s marketing and communications plans. Intelegia conducts training seminars and conferences for professionals in the public and private sectors, seeking to gain a competitive advantage by optimizing internet intelligence research, strategic analysis practices, and the use of social media in B2B organizations. Visit Intelegia online at Follow Intelegia at About E&B DATA E&B (Economic and Business) DATA is a North American leader in the supply of economic and business information, specializing in the industrial, emerging and energy sectors. E&B DATA performs benchmark analysis for economic development initiatives. Equipped with proprietary databases and information systems, E&B DATA operates the largest business capital investment monitoring activity in Canada since Visit E&B DATA online at Follow E&B DATA at Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 43

44 About The Authors Isabelle Poirier Isabelle Poirier, President of Intelegia, advises organizations and professionals in their strategies for branding, communication and business information sharing on both Web 1.0 and 2.0 platforms. As an associate Investment Strategist at E&B DATA, she has 15 years of experience in economic development and investment attraction strategy. Connect with Isabelle Poirier at com/in/isabellepoirier/ Ian Smith Ian Smith is Course Content Coordinator and Lead Blogger at Intelegia and Associate Senior Competitive Intelligence Researcher at E&B DATA. Ian specializes in information monitoring systems and strategic analysis for investment attraction intelligence. Connect with Ian Smith at iancarlsmith/ Follow Ian Smith at Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index / 44

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